Questions of Living history and reconstruction
By Anna Tantawy
In this article I want to consider some questions about and misconceptions of historical interpretation and clothing reconstruction in living history.
The first crucial thing to understand is that living history is not ‘LARP’ (live action roleplay). Whilst LARP can sometimes take the form of ‘histo-larp’ (historically inspired), it is usually based on fantasy or unproved theories and sources, created by ourselves. Additionally, more often than not, the modern ‘historical’ film often fails to use historical sources to create accurate depictions in movies despite the abundance of original source material. In contrast, the main idea of historical reconstruction is to show how people lived in the past and the best way to find the truth is to search for it in all available historical material, including research papers, archaeology, architecture, manuscripts, texts and so on. By searching and learning from this information we can create a truly medieval world. Some ideas are not sufficiently evaluated or do not have historical confirmation. So, we need to be careful and use clearly verified information, confirmed by several types of historical sources. It is also important to look for visual sources and to know how to interpretate them.
Medieval society had a completely different ideology to us. Of course, there was a lot of ideological pressure from the powers of government, monarchy and church about what information to include in manuscripts and how to illustrate them. People didn’t always ascribe great meaning to the images drawn but they could and regularly did have very specific meaning or give an important insight. It’s therefore important not to generalise. For example, some attributes in depictions of clothing were only applicable to Saints or Mystic characters - and even then a number of clothing styles that were ‘mystical’ belonged only to some saints, due to their specific meanings and attributes ( e.g. "Jewish" hats, animals on coats of arms etc.). We can see medieval beads on the waists of Saints, monks and pilgrims - it was often the sign of people who belonged to religion. Secular people, however, would often wear the beads around their neck or hold them in hand. Prayer beads also had varying styles and preferred materials depending on the period and century and medieval sumptuary laws tell us much about the rules and regulations of medieval dress and who could and could not wear something.
Archaeological sources are vital to be accurate in sewing reconstruction projects. Historical reenactors should know of these as a baseline; it is necessary to have a good general understanding of this and for reenactors to observe medieval sources and manuscripts to produce good replica sewing projects. Nevertheless, it is not always enough to sew simply based off the same style of clothing seen in contemporary images; everyone has their own body type and the main aim is to tailor the clothes to the individual, person by person. Modern types of cut are very different from medieval and so it takes time to learn how to make a medieval garment correctly. Reenactors seek help from those more experienced, research about patterns, types of medieval stitches and any additional hacks to master medieval hand sewing. Learning from others and doing my own research is my personal favourite method of creating something for myself. It means more sometimes than attending the Living history event itself due to the effort put in. But, of course, it is time consuming and therefore your choice as to whether you order or create it yourself.
Written sources give us a lot of information, but it’s important we read them accurately and objectively. We must read the facts, the dates and events for what they are and leave ideological descriptions and subjective opinions behind. It also helps to know the social, economic, geographical and spiritual aspects of the history of the specific region.
Materials for costumes. This is crucial when reconstructing the past because nowadays we have completely different materials from the Middle Ages and advances in technology to help us produce them. Medieval people had their own non-mechanical methods of producing items from the wool, flax, wood, metal or leather from scratch. It is possible to fully reconstruct a medieval outfit from pure wool using traditional methods, but it is considerably more expensive. An alternative, however, it to use stylisation. We can create a cloth that can look much as it would have in Medieval times. The compound of the material may not necessarily be 100% wool, but the style of the material will be period appropriate, for example no herringbone twill for 14-15th century clothing. The same can be said of leather production – in the middle ages the ways to process leather was vastly different and we need to consider this in reconstruction, considering what technology was available in the Medieval ages, all historical aspects and, of course archaeological and written sources.
Colour. Natural colouring can look completely different to modern dye. In historical reconstruction it is always very inspiring when we naturally dye the wool for our costumes, but this is not always possible. When choosing synthetic colours then, it’s good to choose natural colours that are achievable with natural resources. All modern colours are based on aniline, so all of them are somewhat lighter and brighter than naturally derived ones. There is a lot of information about natural dyeing materials and processes, so we know more about medieval dyeing technology. To understand the difference between modern and natural colouring we can look for results of natural dyeing and compare them.
When considering colour, it’s impossible to overlook the medieval sumptuary laws, which governed clothing colours and styles. These laws heavily dictated what individuals could wear based on their social standing. The restrictions extended beyond just colour to include the width of doublets, the materials used for accessories, and even the quantity of precious stones or expensive metals allowed. Historical evidence suggests that certain social classes sought to emulate wealth, projecting a more affluent image through their attire and adornments. This behaviour prompted the aristocracy and ruling elite to impose stricter regulations to maintain social boundaries.
Status. In medieval society, clothing adhered to strict social hierarchies and symbolized material wealth and status. For reenactors, understanding the appropriate attire, accessories, fabrics, and colours for the historical role being portrayed is crucial. Contrary to Hollywood's stereotypical depiction of poorer classes in dull, muted tones like brown, beige, and grey, historical records show a broader range of colours. Accessible to all classes, hues such as blues, greens, yellows, and reds (derived from madder root) were commonly worn, although lighter and less saturated shades were typical among the lower classes. Darker and more vivid colours were often reserved for the upper classes. In contrast, monks wore garments made solely of natural, undyed wool and linen. By carefully choosing historically accurate clothing, reenactors can authentically represent the diversity and vibrancy of medieval life.
Symbolism and the diverse array of signs in medieval society were pivotal to understanding medieval life. Coats of arms, family emblems, names, drawings, and a variety of other symbols held immense cultural significance. While we must exercise caution in interpreting these symbols—especially when information about them is scarce—we cannot disregard them, as they were central to medieval identity and culture. Some symbols embodied mythical qualities, not used in daily life but crafted to tell stories. Others carried ideological messages or concealed hidden meanings that their creators deliberately embedded. Everyday symbols were often reserved for significant events, battles, or special occasions, governed by strict medieval rules that restricted their use to certain individuals.
When reconstructing medieval history, there are many aspects to consider. It is crucial to carefully evaluate the sources of our information and the methods we use to interpret the past. A shared understanding among enthusiasts is the importance of accurately portraying the vibrancy and diversity of medieval life, based on thorough research. Reenactors and living historians strive to replicate the details of clothing and daily life with the utmost historical accuracy, contrasting with animators who prioritize entertainment over factual representation. Looking ahead, I hope that filmmakers embrace greater historical accuracy in their works, fostering a deeper and broader understanding of what the Middle Ages truly looked like.